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The ex-serviceman said that his previous experience in the Navy has meant that it has prepared him for being away from his family. He was posted to the Falklands in 2011 and Afghanistan in 2013 and both postings meant that he was away over the Christmas period.

Robby was inspired to join BAS in 1999, when he visited South Georgia and said he was "lucky enough to visit King Edward Point Research Station" which left him eager to find out more about BAS.

Robby made a mock-up of Halley Research Station on Minecraft for his children

Robby has made a mock-up of Halley Research Station on virtual landscape computer game, Minecraft, so that his children could understand where he was going and feel close to him when they play it.

The Plympton resident left the navy in 2015 and started his teacher training so he would be able to teach Foreign Languages.

He has visited four of his children’s schools to give talks about his exciting adventure, and has also visited seven secondary schools and one primary school as he is a STEM ambassador.

He said: “I believe that it is important to give young people an insight into organisations that inspire them to embrace the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects.

“As an organisation we are very proud of our engagement with the STEM programme, engaging with schools before, during and after deployment.”

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Robby hopes to pick up where he left of with teaching when he arrives back in Plymouth in early March and said that “engaging and inspiring young people” was his main goal.

The dad of five is heading to Halley Research Station in Antarctica

He will be part of the ICT team who are going down to bring the station back into top working condition ready for the winter team. This will involve getting the computers, radio and satellite communications up and running again after the station had to be closed for the Antarctic winter.

He said: “I am very proud to be part of BAS and what we do as a world leading centre for Polar Science.”

Halley VI Research Station sits on the Brunt Ice-Shelf and is the first and only Antarctic research station that is designed specifically to be moved inland if required.